I live in South Carolina, and despite what those from the North think, it does get cold here. Now I won't even try to rival those of you in places like Michigan or New York or North Dakota...you win...every single time, you win the Winter wars hands down. But, I will say down South here, we do have to purchase coats and we do in fact have to wear them.
And before you start … [Read more...]

Spring has sprung and with sunshiny days and the top rolled down on our car, I just can't think of anything better to do that to break out an oldie but goodie post to kick off your Spring Break road tripping!
A few years ago I drove with my kids from Upstate South Carolina to Florida by myself for the first time. And because they were super little and I was probably … [Read more...]

I'm surrounded by boys in my house. Which in other terms means that Star Wars is kind of a big deal around here. My littlest guy turns six in January and he has been planning a Star Wars themed birthday party for months.
Recently, I came across a picture online somewhere of a solo cup made to look something like this, but I couldn't find a tutorial how to do it anywhere. … [Read more...]

I lost a friend to death this week. The poor and broken lost one who championed their wellbeing. The world lost a dreamer who got out of the clouds and actually dug his hands into the mud of living.
The sting of death burns hot. It sears into the depths of our hearts, piercing souls that were made for much more than what this broken world can satisfy. We don't have to … [Read more...]

I do love a good project, and revamping my boys' room has been in process for awhile now. It's still not done, but we're getting there.
I've seen the pallet wood projects all over lately, and I think it's pretty cool, but it seemed so "everyone is doing it" to me, as well as, FOR REAL, who wants to really rip all the pallets apart and remove the nails?! I wanted the rustic … [Read more...]

Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
these are a few of my favorite things...
Favorite things. We all have them. And let's be honest, whether you were an Oprah lover or not, the best show of every season was always the "Oprah's Favorite Things" show. She would get crazy … [Read more...]

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is this week. Truth be known, I'm still tired from Allume. Not even sure how that is still possible, but it is. One of my friends told me that for every hour you're in surgery, it takes 1 week to recover from it. So, if there is any equation that begins to be true for conference planning, I'm gonna say it's probably true too.
So, big deal … [Read more...]

My son turned 7 on Monday. I'm not sure when or how 7 years just passed, but somehow they have. And, the pictures of that baby beside the doorway above have evolved into a really handsome, clever, and spunky young boy.
I've had some "moments" this week...he's 7, this year we'll celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and I'll also turn 35. Suddenly I'm settled into my 30's, … [Read more...]

Our house didn't sell. Which is ok really. In the past week however, after almost 2 months of silence, I've had 6 calls to show our house. It's off the market now though since another neighbor is buying the house we'd wanted just 2 doors down. I'm not moving just to move! We love our house and our neighborhood, so we're staying put!
But that brings me to what our next plan … [Read more...]

So friends, after being a totally sparse blogger, I figured I'd show back up in the blogosphere with a fun giveaway today!
Ya'll know I'm a giant fan of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint by now. I've refinished lots of pieces and love the way a can of awesome paint can totally transform something! Here are a few of my most favorite … [Read more...]

Seriously, isn't that precious? Look at my cute kids happily concentrating on decorating Easter eggs. The time-honored tradition that has absolutely nothing to do with the true celebration of this season, but we participate nonetheless. It's a delightful craft filled with joy and creativity.
And GADS of stress!
I'm having a moment of confession here.
I hate dying Easter … [Read more...]

Ok, So I have a fun tidbit to share today! And can I just say that I've been wanting to share this with you all, but the way that my life has been lately, I've been doing pretty well to keep my head above water.
A couple of months back, I got an email asking if I'd be interested in giving the Restore program from Christian Care Ministry a shot. The Restore program is a … [Read more...]

Oh my words...today is January 23rd. Which means that tomorrow is January 24th. And in case you happened to miss the emboldened text on the picture above, that means that my tootsie is about to head to the other side of the world for a heart-changing adventure of a lifetime.
Ya'll....I've written about it before HERE when I first accepted the invitation to join this … [Read more...]

I just have to tell you that my littlest did the sweetest thing today.
I went yesterday to Target to pick up a few things for my upcoming trip to Bangladesh. You know, stuff that's really important to have with me....Immodium, Pepto, Propel packets, and a new pair of yoga pants for an eternally long 30+ hours of airline travel. (Seriously...almost 5 hrs to LA, then almost … [Read more...]

Who doesn't love Christmas lights?! Seriously...there's something magical about them. We drive around neighborhoods looking at them, we love Clark Griswold because of them, we are fascinated with them.
When I was a kid we used to go to a whole town that does up their lights for Christmas, McAdenville NC. Ya'll....it is something to see! But the past few years, we stick … [Read more...]